By Google Arts & Culture
Scottish dance (2004/2004) by Mary Baird-Smith
Section 1: Panels
Section 2: Layout options
Section 3: Captions
Section 4: Guided zoom
Section 5: Video Panels
Section 6: Preset zoom
Section 7: Google Maps & Street View
Section 8: Sections
Section 9: Completing your exhibit
Section 10: Video tutorials
Section 1: Panels
Arrange items from your collection into panels to curate an exhibit. Let's see what a panel looks like...
This is an example of a simple panel.
Use panels to present items together with basic details (metadata) such as: title, date & creator, etc. as seen below.
Section 2: Layout options
Panels can be displayed using one of two layout options: "Simple" or "Immersive". Let's see how they look...
This panel is displayed using the "simple" layout option.
It's similar to how artwork is often displayed on a gallery wall.
If several "simple" panels are added in sequence, they will be shown next to one another...
This panel is also displayed using the "simple" layout option.
And so is the next one...
Baye Fall (2006/2006) by Mary Baird-Smith
Although this is the same artwork as in the previous panel, this one uses the immersive layout option.
Notice how it fills the screen.
Escalator (2008/2008) by Mary Baird-Smith
This is another example of an immersive panel.
If the image is not sufficiently large to fill the view, it will be placed on a blurred background as seen here.
Section 3: Captions
The panels contained in this section demonstrate different types of caption.
Captions can include media as well as text.
Why not add a short documentary clip that explains more about the work and its creation?
Le Royal (2005/2005) by Mary Baird-Smith
Use audio captions to provide narration, or even to add ambience and context to an artwork.
Loch (2012/2012) by Mary Baird-Smith
Captions float on top of immersive panels.
Nature morte (2009/2009) by Mary Baird-Smith
Text captions with more than 300 characters expand to fill the right hand side of "immersive" panels, instead of floating on top.
(Now, what would make a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very long caption?!)
La rame by Mary Baird-Smith
Section 4: Guided zoom
The "immersive" layout option allows you to create a sequence of "stops" within the same panel, automatically panning and zooming to highlight areas of interest. Here we go...
Let's begin by displaying the complete artwork.
Now, let's tell a story...
While a girl rushes to school...
...a couple embrace...
...distracting a bystander!
Section 5: Video panels
Videos are not limited to captions. Further engage your visitors by adding video panels to your exhibit. Let's see what a video panel looks like...
Notice that the video begins playing automatically when the panel is viewed.
Section 6: Sections
As you've seen, different parts of an exhibit can be introduced with a section separator, just like this one! Use sections to introduce artwork that shares a common theme, artist, medium, time period etc.
Section 7: Preset zoom
In both sections and panels, you can set a zoom level to show visitors a portion of the image. Here we've zoomed to show Kadia's face, even though the original image is a full portrait.
This panel uses the simple layout option and we've zoomed on to show a painting within the painting!
Notice that the zoomed region is highlighted in the thumbnail.
Corridor (2012/2012) by Mary Baird-Smith
If a preset zoom is used on an immersive panel, viewers can pan around themselves to explore other areas of the image.
Why don't you give it a try? Just click and drag the image.
Tap to explore
Here, you can see the current Google Street View image of Les Petites Dalles (Normandie, France)
This scene was also painted by Mary Baird-Smith, as shown on the next panel...
Tap to explore
Google Street View can be used in both simple and immersive layout. Viewers can even take a look around the location.
Go on: click and drag the image to visit the area ;-)
Section 9: Completing your exhibit
Any changes you make to your exhibit are saved automatically. However, these changes will not be seen publicly until you publish the draft.
Create as many panels and sections as needed to showcase your content.
Reordering can be done easily by drag and drop!
Invite others to help you curate exhibits.
Just add additional administrators in the Google Cultural Institute settings.
Inside the underground (1998/1998) by Mary Baird-Smith
Use the publishing options available to share your new exhibit with the world!
Google Arts & Culture - publish one or more exhibits to the Cultural Institute website/app to make your cultural content accessible to all
Embed - add your exhibit directly into your existing website or blog.
See our help center for more information about using these publishing options.
Section 10: Video tutorials
This section contains video tutorials that demonstrate how to achieve many of the effects you've just seen.
Exhibit created by the Google Cultural Institute Team.
Feel free to contact us for assistance via our Help Center:
support.google.com/culturalinstitute/partners
Special thanks to Mary-Baird Smith for permission to use her artwork in this tutorial.
See more of her artwork at:
mary-baird-smith.culturalspot.org